


Technicalities of Love

by melroihag



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Fluff, Wayhaught - Freeform, all the feels, i just love them so much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-12
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-12-14 14:13:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11784837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melroihag/pseuds/melroihag
Summary: Nicole's out of the hospital and back home, and she and Waverly have a lot to discuss...





	Technicalities of Love

**Author's Note:**

> This is my take on how I'd like to see WayHaught's reconciliation - over everything - go down.
> 
> Enjoy!

Unable to look at Wynonna without the guilt eating her alive, Waverly had picked her jacket up and ran. She was in such a state, it was as if she was on autopilot. After retrieving the Nicole’s spare key back from Nedley, she’d seemed to snap back into reality as she stepped over the threshold of her girlfriend’s house.

Flashbacks of the day’s earlier events flickered in Waverly’s mind and she took a moment to steady her breathing, before tidying up up the broken pieces of coffee table scattered all over the floor. Her phone buzzed repeatedly as text after worried text came through from Nicole, Wynonna and Dolls.

A fresh surge of guilt ripped through her, as it finally hit her that she’d left Nicole at the hospital. Sending her girlfriend a quick text to let her know that she was okay and that she was at home, she searched the cupboards for stain remover and got to work on ridding the blood that was marking the carpet.

Waverly didn’t know how much time had passed, when she heard a car pull up outside. Peeking through the window she watched as Wynonna helped Nicole to the front door. Ducking down so she couldn’t be seen, she could faintly hear the pair’s conversation just outside the door.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay for a bit?” Wynonna asked.  
“Wynonna, I’ll be fine… honestly. If I need anything, I’ll call you.” Nicole reassured the heavily pregnant sister of her girlfriend.  
“Okay.” Wynonna sounded reluctant.  
“And if you hear from Waves-” she began to say before she was cut off.  
“I’ll get her to call you.” Nicole said simply.  
There was a silence for a moment and Waverly wondered what was happening before she heard her girlfriend speak again.  
“You can give me all the glares in the world, Wynonna… but I’m not gonna force Waverly to do anything she isn’t ready to do.” Nicole said matter-of-factly, and a small sad smile curved Waverly’s lips as she listened on.  
“You saw her face before she hightailed outta there… she’ll come back to us when she’s ready, okay? You’ve just gotta give her some time.” Nicole’s voice was gentle.  
A exasperated sigh sounded and then Waverly heard her sister’s voice again, “Y’know I didn’t spend all day busting _my_ ass, trying to create a cure to save _your_ ass, just for you to come back and be an asshole.” there was no bite to Wynonna’s words, and Waverly heard Nicole’s breathy laugh.  
“If I see her, I’ll get her to text you to make sure that she’s okay, alright?” the redhead repeated herself.  
“Whatever.” Wynonna said and Waverly could practically feel her eye roll.  
“Get some rest, asshole.” Wynonna said fondly, and Waverly heard her sister’s footsteps getting further and further away.  
“Yeah, love you too.” Nicole huffed another breathy laugh, before opening the door to her place.

 

Nicole entered her house to find her girlfriend crouched in her kitchen, wearing rubber gloves and a sheepish smile on her face.  
“Waves…” Nicole’s brows raised to her hairline.  
“Hi.” Waverly stood abruptly, peeling the gloves off and dumping them in the sink before turning to her girlfriend again.  
“Hey.” Waverly said again and waved.  
“I thought you went to the homestead? In your text you said you went home?” Nicole’s head tilted adorably as she approached her girlfriend cautiously.  
“I didn’t want to go back there.” the words fell from Waverly’s lips before she could fully process her train of thought.  
The shocked look on her face was enough for Nicole not to ask questions just yet.  
“Okay.” she nodded, standing a few steps away as she leant on the counter.  
“I’m sorry… I just can’t deal with Wynonna right now, and before I knew it, I was back here.” Waverly rambled, her gaze landing on the gloves in the sink.  
“Hey, it’s okay. You know you’re always welcome to stay here.” Nicole said gently, moving to stand in front of Waverly.

Upon seeing the gloves in the sink, Nicole’s brow furrowed.  
“Did you… clean my house?” she asked amusedly.  
Waverly couldn’t bring herself to look Nicole in the eye when she answered.  
“I had to get the blood stain out of the carpet before it dried in even more… and I kinda broke your coffee table too… I’ll replace it though, I swear-” Waverly started to ramble again.  
“Hey.” Nicole lifted her girlfriend’s chin and waited patiently until she looked in her eyes.  
“Are we starting the _‘Sorry Party’_ early?” she asked jokingly.  
Waverly fell forward, leaning her head against Nicole’s chest, then wound her arms around her girlfriend’s waist gently.  
Nicole wrapped Waverly in her arms automatically and closed her eyes, relishing in the warmth the tiny brunette produced.

Time seemed to stand still as Waverly listened to Nicole’s heartbeat.  
“Are you okay?” Nicole asked hesitantly, her fingers raking through caramel-coloured strands.  
Waverly glanced up at her girlfriend incredulously, and a lump started to form in her throat at the love and concern she found in Nicole’s eyes.  
“You’re the one who nearly died today, and you’re asking _me_ if _I’m_ okay?” Waverly shook her head in disbelief.  
“Look, I don’t know what’s going on with you and Wynonna… but can you at least text her to let her know that you’re alright?” the redhead asked, searching the brunette’s gaze.  
Waverly let go of Nicole and took a step back, rolling her eyes.  
“I don’t want to talk to her.” she said crossing her arms over her chest, eyes on the ground.  
“At the end of the day, she’s still your sister. You’re mad at each other now, but she just wants to know you’re safe. and I think after all the crazy shit that’s been happening around here, you could at least give her one less thing to stress over.” Nicole said, giving Waverly a pointed look.

Waverly narrowed her eyes at Nicole, “Oh, so you’re taking her side?”  
Nicole sighed and leant back against the counter fully.  
“Whatever you did, you’re still the most important person to her.” the redhead folded her arms over her chest.  
“I can relate.” she added, looking down at her socks.  
“Plus, she’s pregnant.” she added quickly, biting her lip, looking up at Waverly from beneath her eyelashes.  
Waverly groaned and went over to the couch to get her phone, and Nicole followed her into the living room. Once she text her sister to let her know that she was fine, she slumped onto the couch.  
“Playing the pregnancy card isn’t fair.” she mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest once again.  
Nicole sat down slowly, wincing at her aching limbs before settling back into the comfy pillows.

The Officer’s eyes were just slipping closed when Waverly spoke up beside her.  
“So, Shae… huh…” she said awkwardly.  
Nicole’s exhausted-state caused her words to tumble out before she could properly think them through.  
“What about her?” she asked airily, before blinking her eyes awake, trying to stave off sleep.  
“Oh, I don’t know… maybe the fact that she’s your _wife_?” Waverly’s high voice made Nicole wince slightly.  
“It’s not what you think.” Nicole said, tilting her head to look over at her girlfriend.  
“So, are you _not_ married?” Waverly asked, tucking her feet underneath her and turning to face Nicole, as she leant back into the cushions.  
“No, she is… I am… it’s just more complicated than I can explain.” Nicole scrubbed a hand over her face and sighed.  
“So, you lied to me.” Waverly concluded and Nicole’s exhaustion temporarily evaporated at the accusation.  
“How did I lie to you?” she asked, sitting up too quickly and wincing from the pain, before she leant back, turning her full attention to Waverly.

Waverly didn’t want to argue right now, not after what they’d just been through, what Nicole had just been through, but the words were _again_ out of her mouth before she could stop them. The small voice in the back of her head, telling her it was best to get all their shit out in the open and talk about it now, wasn’t exactly comforting her.  
“You’re married.” the words fell out.  
Nicole visibly tensed and her gaze dropped to where the coffee table used to be.  
“ _Technically_ , I never lied… I just… didn’t… tell you.” the redhead’s words got quieter and Waverly watched as her girlfriend pinched the bridge of her nose. If the sigh she let out was any indication, the brunette knew that the Officer was mentally berating herself for not having said something sooner.

Waverly’s anger towards her sister bubbled to the surface and before she knew it, Waverly was taking it out on Nicole.  
“Oh, we’re talking _technicals_ now are we? Then I guess my kiss with Rosita wasn’t _’technically’_ cheating then.” she said annoyed.  
As if she didn’t immediately regret the words tumbling out of her mouth, the hurt on Nicole’s face broke Waverly’s heart instantly.  
“Wait…You cheated on me?” the redhead asked, barely managing to get the words out.  
Waverly could see that the pained look on Nicole’s face wasn’t just from the physical discomfort of her aching body, but emotionally from a broken heart too.  
“I was drunk and still mad at you, and we were in a hot tub… there was champagne…” she instantly tried to explain herself.  
Nicole’s eye widened at the mention of the hot tub and the champagne.  
“How romantic.” she scoffed hurt, and shook her head in disbelief.  
“Y’know after being on the receiving end of being cheated on so many times by Champ, I never thought you’d ever do it yourself.” Nicole’s words were harsh, and Waverly felt them as if she’d been stabbed in the chest.

Silence descended on them then, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.  
Waverly was tired of fighting with Nicole, it was exhausting and she wanted to do was forget everything that happened and go to sleep in her arms.  
“But like I said, I didn’t technically cheat because it was just a meaningless kiss.” she muttered, looking over at her the rigid posture of her girlfriend.  
“Was it?” Nicole asked, refusing to meet Waverly’s gaze.  
“Was what, what?” the brunette asked, thrown by the question.  
“The kiss… meaningless?” the redhead’s voice was void of any emotion.  
“Of course-” Waverly started to say, slightly taken aback, before she was cut off.  
“Because if I screwed up so badly that you went seeking… comfort, from someone else-” Nicole’s voice was shaking as she referred to keeping the DNA results from the brunette.  
“What? Nicole, no…” Waverly tried to interrupt.  
“Because what I did was a shitty thing, Waves… I know, but… if you don’t lov-” Nicole’s voice broke completely and she turned her face away as tears slipped down her face.  
“Stop that right now Nicole Haught.” Waverly said fiercely, ”I messed up. I knew the moment it happened that it was a huge mistake.”

Nicole took a few steadying breaths before she spoke again.  
“If you’re just saying this because I nearly died… or… or like, staying with me out of pity… don’t.” she spoke through clenched teeth, looking straight ahead rather than at the brunette beside her.  
“That’s exactly the point.” Waverly said exasperatedly, flinging her arms in the air.  
“What?” Nicole looked over at her from the corner of her eye.  
“You nearly _died_ … and it put everything into perspective.” Waverly spoke as if she were pointing out the most obvious thing in the world.  
“It shouldn’t’ve taken you nearly dying for that to happen in the first place, but I know now.” she added, scooting a little closer to the redhead.  
“Know what?” Nicole’s face scrunched in confusion.  
“Why you did it. You thought you were doing the right thing by protecting me. Just like I did everything I could to try to save you.” she admitted quietly.  
“I don’t understand.” the tension in Nicole’s shoulders vanished as she leant her head back into the cushions, looking over at Waverly tiredly.

Waverly took a moment to collect her thoughts this time, before she reached forward to take hold of her girlfriend’s hands.  
“Each moment the toxin was still in your body, killing you…” Waverly’s gaze lifted from their joined hands to Nicole’s beautiful brown eyes.  
“I could see my future slip away. I couldn’t see us babysitting baby-Earp, I couldn’t see us moving into our own place…” her gaze dropped back down to their hands.  
Nicole squeezed the brunette’s hands gently, silently telling Waverly that she was there, and that she was listening, encouraging her to continue.  
“The thought of waking up and your face not being the first thing I see” Waverly’s voice broke and tears sprung to her eyes as she continued.  
“You’re mine. And I’m yours.” she sobbed and felt Nicole’s grip on her hands tighten.  
“And that’s how I know that kiss didn’t mean a thing because I don’t want a future with Rosita. I want a future with you… I’m pretty sure I have since you walked into Shorty’s that day.” she sniffled, blinking through tears, as her gaze dropped to their joined hands again.

The silence that followed was excruciating and Waverly couldn’t take it anymore.  
“Please say something?” the brunette pleaded.  
“What were you doing in a hot tub?” Nicole asked, her voice strained.  
“Dolls gave Rosita a spa voucher and she doesn’t really have any other friends in purgatory, so we went and I sent that awful awful text to you and…” Waverly’s voice grew thick with a new onslaught of tears.  
The next thing Nicole said took waverly entirely by surprise.  
“I’m not perfect, Waves.” the redhead said sadly.  
“I’m not asking you to be.” Waverly shook her head, holding onto Nicole’s hands for dear life.  
“But how do I know that when we next fight, you won’t go off and kiss somebody else?” Nicole flinched at how vulnerable she sounded.  
“Because I’ve learned my lesson the hard way.” Waverly declared with fire in her eyes.  
Nicole chewed the inside of her cheek as her gaze dropped down to their joined hands.

Waverly moved so she was right beside her girlfriend. She let go of one of Nicole’s hands and carefully lifted the redhead’s chin up, so she was able to look into her eyes.  
“I love you _so much_.” she breathed.  
“Really?” Nicole’s eyes flickered between the brunette’s hazel eyes, searching for something.  
“With everything I am.” Waverly gave a slight shrug as a smile played on her lips.  
Nicole must’ve found what she was looking for in Waverly’s eyes, because she suddenly closed the distance and rest her forehead against Waverly’s, releasing a content sigh.  
“I love you, Waverly Earp.” she said, smiling softly.  
“I’m not technically an Earp, remember?” Waverly said jokingly.  
“Pshh… you’re the Earpiest Earp of them all.” Nicole scoffed, rolling her eyes fondly as she quoted herself from what seemed like a lifetime ago.

Waverly couldn’t hold back any longer, she let go of Nicole’s hand and cradled her face lovingly, before drawing her in for a languid kiss.  
Nicole pulled back and smiled sleepily at Waverly, who was now caressing her cheeks gently.  
“And once Shae and I’s marriage is annulled, you could technically become a Haught… unless you wanted to stay an Earp… Nicole Earp, doesn’t have the same ring to it as Waverly Haught though…” Nicole’s voice lifted off distractedly as her eyes drooped heavily.  
“Woah, wait a sec… did you just propose?” Waverly giggled at the dreamy expression on her girlfriend’s face.  
“I can’t _technically_ propose if I’m still married, Waves…” Nicole pointed out, blinking a few times to try and keep herself awake.  
“But you’d take the name Earp? Even though we have a bad reputation with the curse and… Wynonna and-” Waverly was mid-ramble when Nicole’s finger on her lips silenced her.  
“Hey, I happen to be quite fond of you Earp sisters…” she pinched Waverly’s side, rousing another giggle from her.  
“And by the sounds of things, you’d say **yes** if I _was_ proposing.” she smirked at her now blushing girlfriend.

Waverly’s gaze softened as she twirled some of Nicole’s hair around her finger.  
“I was never the white-picket fence kinda gal… but that was only because I hadn’t found the right person to settle down with. My other half.” she said, her eyes flickering from the red curl around her finger, to big brown eyes.  
“You’re my future. I want everything and I want it all with you.” she spoke barely above a whisper.  
Nicole’s heart stuttered in her chest at the confession.  
“But when the time comes, that you ask… the answer will be _yes_. Always.” she promised.  
“Technically you could ask… if you wanted to…” Nicole teased, laughing.

The hand still twirling Nicole’s red strand, froze as Waverly was hit with an idea.  
“Ok then.” she said, a grin lighting up her face.  
“Ok then, what?” Nicole asked, brow raised as another laugh tumbled out.  
Waverly moved so she was standing in front of Nicole on the couch. She slipped one of the rings off her finger and got down on one knee, so they’re closer than they would be if they were both standing.  
“Waves…” Nicole’s eyes widened comically.  
“Shh, just let me say this one thing okay?” Waverly asked.  
The sweet smile on the brunette’s face leaving Nicole speechless, so she nodded instead.  
“This isn’t a marriage proposal… just yet, but it **is** a promise. A promise that I will do my best to show you everyday just _how much I love you_.” Waverly held the ring up, positively beaming.  
“Isn’t that technically a marriage proposal?” Nicole asked playfully, a grin playing on her lips.  
“Enough with the technicalities!” Waverly rolled her eyes fondly as they both laughed.

“What do you say, Officer?” Waverly asked then, her underlying tone slightly nervous.  
As an answer, Nicole simply held out her hand for Waverly to slide the ring into place.  
Waverly squeezed Nicole’s hand excitedly, before the redhead let go and wrapped her arms around Waverly’s neck.  
“I’m yours.” Nicole breathed against Waverly’s lips.  
“And I’m yours” Waverly mumbled against Nicole’s lips.  
“You better be.” Nicole nudged her nose against the brunette’s playfully.  
“ _Always_ ” Waverly’s arms slid around her girlfriend’s waist, as she kissed her once more.  
The brunette’s tongue brazenly traced the Officer’s bottom lip, causing the redhead to hum contently and smile into the kiss.

Waverly couldn’t stop the shit-eating grin spreading on her face, from having the woman she loved in her arms, warm and safe, or the feeling of contentment from the taste of forever lingering on her lips.  
They fell asleep on the couch wrapped in each other’s arms, both dreaming of their future together.

**Author's Note:**

> What did you think? Leave a comment?


End file.
